Laid Off to Hired: Your 30-day plan to land the next job fast

The 30-Day Playbook for Severance, Unemployment, Health Coverage, an ATS-Ready Resume, Networking Scripts and Salary Negotiation in the AI-Era Job Market

Losing your job sets off a dozen deadlines at once: a severance agreement to sign, an unemployment claim to file, a COBRA notice that may cost more than your rent, a 401(k) you are tempted to cash out, and a job market where hiring has slowed and AI is changing how resumes get screened. Laid Off to Hired puts all of it in order.

Start with the first 72 hours: what to save, which severance clauses to read, what is often negotiable, and a polite email to ask for more. Learn how to file for unemployment in the right state using the Department of Labor's CareerOneStop finder, how severance and part-time work affect benefits, and how to handle taxes on them. Compare COBRA and Marketplace coverage with real 2026 numbers, including the return of the 400% subsidy cliff, and see what a 401(k) cash-out really costs.

Then get hired. Build a runway budget, pick target roles using current BLS data, and write an ATS-friendly resume with before-and-after bullet examples. Use AI tools honestly with copy-and-paste prompts that never invent facts. Fix your LinkedIn headline, send networking messages that get replies, and ask for referrals the easy way.

Finish with STAR interview stories, answers to the hardest questions (including 'Why were you laid off?'), word-for-word salary negotiation scripts, a guide to spotting job scams, free and low-cost upskilling, bridge income options, and a day-by-day 30-day sprint plan with a funnel check to fix what is not working.

Educational guide; not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change and vary by state, so every chapter tells you where to check.

What you get:

• A first-72-hours checklist with every deadline in one table
• Step-by-step unemployment filing via CareerOneStop and your state
• COBRA vs. Marketplace comparison with 2026 subsidy rules
• ATS-friendly resume rules plus 7 before-and-after bullet rewrites
• Honest AI prompts for resumes, research and mock interviews
• Networking, referral and salary negotiation scripts to copy
• Red flags and a 5-minute check to avoid job scams
• A day-by-day 30-day job search sprint plan

Instant download: PDF ebook (6x9 in), readable on any phone, tablet or computer. Educational content; rules change, so check the official sources listed in the book.